Quilts

Here are some of my quilts. I have been quilting since Janurary, 2002. I just love finding the fabrics, sewing them into interesting patterns and quilting the layers into something warm and pretty. I have learned a lot since I started but I still learn something new with each one. I find quilting to be very relaxing and a very nice change of pace from teaching (which I also enjoy...). Plus, I love to give them away....

This is the first quilt I made. These flannel quilts with the fringe are called rag quilts. I gave it to Brian Jr. It is very cozy and pretty with fishermen and woodsy patterns. Boy, this first one took a long time but since then the rag quilts have gotten easier.

I kept this one, quilt number two. Also cozy flannel. It is hard to find these beautiful floral flannels.

This third quilt was still flannel but not a rag quilt like the others. I was really proud to do meander machine quilting and I couldn't part with it when I was done. The fabrics are wintery prints with cats. It reminds me of Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales

The French Countryside Quilt, a split rail pattern. Everyone loves these colors Regular cotton, machine quilted. Again, I couldn't give this one away.

Another rag quilt, August, 2002. This one is flannel on the back and smooth on the front. I sent this one to my sister Jeannette for Christmas...to remind her that the long Michigan winter would be over soon. The scalloped edge on the quilt gives it a nice look.

Sunny Winter Day....My sister Chris just loved the snowmen and cute animals playing in the snow on this one and I sent it to her for Christmas. Too bad the fabrics don't show up very well here. This pattern is called Yellow Brick Road, a wonderful, clear and easy to follow pattern.

I made this for my mom for Christmas. It is all made of reproduction prints from the 30's. I took a class to make this one and it was fun.

Pink and blue apple blossoms for Brian's Mom and Dad for Christmas. This is the same as the blue and gold quilt.

I wanted something kind of simple for my brother, Jon, for Christmas. This one is all made of reproductions from the 1840's. It is a nice size for reading...Jon loves to read. I called it Michigan Farmhouse, 1840.

I meant to have this cardinal quilt finished by Christmas, 2002 but didn't make it. The birds are outlined by machine one this one. Chris loves this one so I will give it to her.

David wanted something different so he had to wait for a long time...I gathered these fabrics all over the western states. Some of the fabrics are hand dyed. It took me a long time to sew it together also but I love this leaf quilt.

Brian also had to wait a long time for a quilt. I finally found a bunch of really soft flannel in colors I thought he would like. This is all flannel and very warm. It is quilt #12...called "North of Willets."

"Sunday Drive" has lots of woodsy prints and some elk and bears...the front is regular cotton and the back is flannel. The pictures of animals and plants and little houses remind me of Michigan and/or New York. This one is for Jeannette for Christmas. Again, this is a Yellow Brick Road quilt.

Rag quilt made from really charming chicken fabric. I love the fabric so much I made two of these. One for my sister-in-law, Lea, and one for my friend Judi. These scalloped edge rag quilts are pretty and graceful.

Lots of pieces of beautiful batiks in this quilt. Most of them I purchased in Michigan. I want to make another quilt of this pattern.

I made this blue and white quilt for Brian's mom and gave it to her for Christmas, 2003. She wanted one to match the blues and whites in her apartment in Gold Beach, Oregon.

This patriotic quilt was a Christmas present for Brian, Jr. The material was gathered from many places. It is quilted in stars also. I love this pattern, it is called Lucky Stars and goes together quickly.

I have to admit, this one was pretty hard to send away. It is called "Conestoga Calico". It is all made of reproductions from the 1830's and 1840's. It is historically correct, including the pattern and the red, which would have been a fairly expensive color, imported from France at that time, according to my research. I love the way it turned out. I sent it to my brother, Jon, for Christmas, 2003.

Another nine-patch quilt. I made this "Roses all Year" quilt for my mother for Christmas. The colors are so pretty in this one and it seems really large; big enough for a full size bed.

This one is called "California Cowboy." I gathered fabric from a lot of places, including Turlock, CA, near where my dad grew up. It has really cute pictures of cowboys on bucking horses. I gave this to my nephew, Walter's son, Kyle. Kyle is 2 years old and lives in Michigan. The pattern is a modified 9-Patch.

I made this one for our bed. The cat seems to love it. The pattern was a little different and fun to put together.

I made this colorful baby quilt for David Poole's new baby. He is a social studies teacher at Chaffey. Another Lucky Stars pattern.

This is David's Christmas quilt...a flannel rag quilt with bears and leaves and elk. Very soft and warm.

This is a bear paw quilt made of a yosemite group of fabrics. It was fun to make and turned out well. I had been looking for some fabrics to use for a bear paw pattern.

Below is a queen size quilt I made for my son, Brian. It has tropical fish and lots of various blues and yellows and oranges. It was fun to gather these fabrics. The focus fabric is from Oregon. I was happy to figure out a pattern on my own which would look like the sun playing on the ocean.

I made this around the world pattern quilt for our friends Suzanne and Glen Chappell. The fabrics are all hand dyed and are just beautiful in person. I gave this to them as a Christmas and retirement gift. It is called "Trip to Paradise"